I love the utter quiet despair in this poem. I find that if you really listen and pay attention to the world then it’s often the small, the quiet and the unassuming people and things that have the most impact. . .

. . . This poem has a hollowing feel, a poignant sense of loss, and something that I too felt couldn’t completely be explained by words when people asked, “How are you?”

Rural Women NZ has opened entries for its third annual Enterprising Rural Women award.

“The Award celebrates women who take on the extra challenge of running a business in a rural area and it’s a great opportunity to boost your business profile,” says RWNZ National President Liz Evans.

Past entrants have received extensive media coverage and seen the positive effects on their businesses.

Last year’s Supreme winner, Tineke Verkade, of Homeopathic Farm Support Limited, says winning the 2010 RWNZ Enterprising Rural Women Award has led to three appearances on television, as well as radio shows and numerous newspaper articles throughout the country.

“Winning the Award was really a boost for the staff and for me.”

She says it has made her more enthusiastic and given her the confidence to come up with strategies to cope with the recession, including new products that are currently being tested by Massey, and writing a book on homeopathy for horses.

Last year’s South Island winner, Tracey Robinson, who runs children’s merino sock company Cosy Toes Ltd from the tiny town of Rotherham in North Canterbury, says her win has had a very positive spin off.

“I’m definitely busier because of it.”

The RWNZ Enterprising Rural Women Award 2011 is being sponsored by Telecom and Access Homehealth Ltd, who will both be involved in the judging.

Entries close Friday 18 March 2011 and the award ceremony will take place in Auckland in May.,

Further information and entry forms can be found here or by calling (04) 473 5524.

This is great news for orchardists which has been welcomed by Trade Minister Tim Groser.

“The appeal report upholds the thorough analysis undertaken by the WTO dispute Panel around risk assessment and the science at issue. These findings – reached by independent external arbiters – settle any debate. This is good news for New Zealand apple exporters,” said Mr Groser.

New Zealand has been seeking access into Australia for its apples since 1986 but has been barred from the market as a result of restrictive quarantine measures. Australia has maintained that the alleged risk of introducing fire blight, European canker and apple leaf-curling midge justified the measures.

After exhaustive efforts to resolve the matter with Australia, New Zealand took the issue to the WTO. The WTO Panel report on the case was released in August. Australia appealed. The Panel had found that all 16 of Australia’s quarantine measures, along with their Import Risk Analysis, were inconsistent with Australia’s legal obligations under the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. The Appellate Body has now upheld the Panel’s core findings.

On a subsidiary issue – whether there were less trade restrictive measures available to Australia – the Appellate Body overturned the Panel’s decision on technical grounds. But this does not weaken the central findings around risk assessment and the science.

“The Appellate Body has confirmed that Australia’s objections to New Zealand apple imports are simply not backed by the science.”

This ruling opens the door to apple exports to Australia worth millions of dollars.

That’s not only good for our producers it will offer more choice, and potentially lower prices through more competition, to Australian consumers.

1700 – Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8,500 men under Charles XII defeated a much larger Russian army at Narva.

1718 – Swedish king Charles XII died during a siege of the fortress Fredriksten in Norway.

1782 – American Revolutionary War: Treaty of Paris — Representatives from the United States and Great Britain signed preliminary peace articles (later formalised as the 1783 Treaty of Paris).

1786 – Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, promulgated a penal reform making his country the first state to abolish the death penalty. Consequently, November 30 is commemorated by 300 cities around the world as Cities for Life Day.

1803 – In New Orleans, Louisiana, Spanish representatives officially transferred the Louisiana Territory to a French representative.

1804 – The Democratic-Republican-controlled United States Senate began an impeachment trial against Federalist-partisan Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase.

1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Franklin — The Army of Tennessee led by General John Bell Hood mounted a dramatically unsuccessful frontal assault on Union positions commanded by John McAllister Schofield around Franklin, Tennessee, Hood lost six generals and almost a third of his troops.